Attachment for motor-vehicles.



FIELL H. B. CARMICHAEL.

ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8,1915.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

H. B. CARMICHAEL.

ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR VEHlGLES.

APPLICATION, FILED JUNE 8,1915.

1,21 9,247. Patefited Mar. 13, 1917. I

elem-hi column of a motor vehicle.

ITED STATES HARVEY 33.

CARIYZ'ECHEiEL,

' NE 35533 IYIGTQBQEHIGLES.

1 oi the United residing gouiiu, l otoskey, ii county of liluunet aud Stale t' have iuveiilod rerlaiu new and iiliiieute in itttarhiueuts; for Vehirles: and .l

i'ilotordo herelw declare tho lolloiwng lo be a full, clear and exao'li description of the ii'iveutioi'i, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which uppertaihs to make and use the i This invention relates to and useful inuiroven'ients in attachment; for motor Ye aud. the principal ohjocl' ol the into provide a devise whiz-h deto allow the use of a rileh ho); or. steering whee and permit the said ,teeriug' wheel to turn in the usual way.

fruollier ohjeut ol the invention is to provide a device which is so arranged as to Control the various starting, lighting, gear shifting and other devices from the steering column alone.

Another object of the ii'rveiition is to provide a switch box which may be readily mounted on the steering wheel and w iich is so connected to a number of contact 1. gs carried by the steering post as to allow the rings to hmr against or revolve against brushes and *arry current from the switch lJOX to the various devices to be operated.

ll' ith ihesi and other objects in .lGW the invention consists in the novel pomhinatioir and arrangement of parts which will he full set forth in the following spooilioation and accompanying drawings in which Figure l a fragmentary View illustratiug 'l'hii; improreihdevice app d to the a sectional View on line vertical sectional \lGW through 1 riug column illustrating the details ohslruction of the various parts, and Fig. l is a top plan view of the steering wheel showing the arrai'igemont of the switch box with relationto the engine control.

l iQ. Cl is a Fig. 5 a per iective View of one of the clips by which LHQ wire is socurm to the rings, and

new to the dra the steering column or casing whirh extends 'iu'iwardly from the foot board 2 o" thev ve hicle. This steering; column like those of the ordinary forn'i is preferably oyliiulrical and provided with a longi" liual opening 3 wh'u-h covered by the trough shaped (over de- .al'eiil generally by the numeral This trough shaped cover comprises the side walls 5 and G which are eouneoterl by the, cud walls I and the side w; ll 6 is hingedly secured as at to the Casing or column 1. The wall 5 is provided with a suitable lug i whiz-l1 ex ends through an opening formed in the free end or the spring 1.0 which spring is secured as at ll to the column l :K jaoent the ()[JQIHUQ 3. lt will thus he that when the cover closed the pin 5) will tend through the opening and thus form a latch to prevent the cover from being accidentally reuuued. The usual hollow sleerlug post 12 is mounted to rotate withiu the housing or steeriug column l and he lower end of the steering post rouuected to he steering merhauisui while the upper end is connected to the steering wheel in a manuer which will he more fully hereinafter described.

The u pper end of the steering post is provided with the reduced rectangular extension 18 having the reduced screw threaded portion 14: formed thereon. The steering wheel (ilesigi'iated generally 15 comprises the usual h 19 provided with a rectangular opening 17 to receive the rectangular extension 123 of the steering post. A suitable rollar 15 extends downwardly from the une of the huh l6 and overlies the upper the steering" column l as clearly Fig. 3. lo, order to secure the rheol on tie 0nd of the steering here is provided the nut 19 whioh is formed with an internally si-rew threiuiled here and is provided with the reduced Smooth bore 20 through which the hollow shaft 21 extends. This hollow shaft is provided at its upper end with a squared portion for the connerfion with the lever 22 and the lower end of the hollow shaft is connerted in any suitable manner to either the spark or the gasoleue control of the motor.

he connected to me BIC-HHS for oortrol- I die spark or Qasoleue (i (he vehir'le. in order to hoiu the lovers and (ranks on ihei: respective shatts there is ]Jl' .'l(l9lltll( which is threailcil on the rcrlnceil e.\' 2 l ornicil in the nut 19 and in the hub 16 are the al'ining apertures 26 ainl f2? respectircly, which openings form a passage through which the cable carrying the conductor wires passes.

nretl to the exterior of the erinp; null! q radially tlici roni at lon i1 ai -ailing strips (hirrieil on the gas ot thes strips are the contact; which are arrann il in pairs Ell'lll approxiina, one-eighth ot and one uuaiter ot an inch 1 contact rings are connected to th n the cable hereinb ore inc-nhcse wires in turn are nnecteil jcctirc push buttons in the S\ 'Li .witl he more fully lierciuattc: e itfwill thus be seen that regarch 1e pi'isition ot the steering; wheel -c; may he hail thrwugh these contact with an outer source as will he more hereinafter tlescribeil. tiecureil by .e screws or in any otherprelicrreil ill lulf'll ll on the enci of the shatt =3" .r to the wall of the cover l a strip of nlatr material gllihaving secured to iner face at spaced intervals the brushes which are provided with the spring tongues 32 which bear against the contact rings .hese brushes like the rings are ar 'angetl in pairs and are attached to suit able wires carried within the cable 33 which 5 is locatecl in the recess 34 tornieil in the outer face of the insulator 30. Suitable clips are secured to the insulator ancl overlie the cable 33 to hold the same in place 7 when the cover 'l' is swung on its hinge 8.

in order to provide a means whereby the wires may be. attached to the rings i there are IIYOVltltKi the clips best illustrated in Fig. n which comprise the hotly -ll'i proriilerl with tie oil'setporti ms iii. 'ihese oll'cet portions are prin'iilcil with the openings 38 tor the reception oi the set screws I55) and the burly ill: is also tornieel with openings for the lcception ol the screws ll) by which they are attacaeil to the rinfgfs. 'lhesc clips are attached to alternate-rings in staggered relation illustrated in Figs. 2 and (5 ainl the wires are secured by means oi the screws .SU so as to form electric: 1 contact.

lhe switch box hereinbet'ore rctcrreil to is designated generally by the numeral ll will comprises a suitable casing 41lhuringr the switches mounted therein. This switch box is prm'islcil with a suitable means by which it is mounted, on the stecriinr wheel an l the cable lil carrying the coinluciors enters the through a suitable insulator.

in iLO box at ii is prei'iously rlcscriheil. the rings anil brushes are arranged in pairs ainl upon rei'errinp; to the (llilfl'l'zllll it will be cl *arly seen that when the (lerice is in use the current llows 'ti'n'linally ex troin the power source 45 to the line wire 46 into the b 'anch wire it and thence to one ol the. brushes of the set (lcsignatcil respectively a and o. The current then passes through the ring A into the wire 2-; ainl thence through the switch it) into the wire in) from whence it passes into the ring A and thence. into the contact brush lro'm whence it passes bacl; through the wire :31 to the starting motor. The current then passes trom the opposite terminal of the starting: motor through the wire 51) to the return wire iii of the power s urce. When the siilc lights of the vehicle are to be liu'hlell the current. passes from the power source if into the wire ll) and. thence into the branch wire 35 from whence it passes into one ot the contact brushes in the sccoinl set which brushes are designated respectively by the characters I) aznl I). The current then passes through the ring B into the wire fill. thence through the switch 511' into the wire as. from whence it passes through the ring l5 into the con tact brush 0 and thence into the wire 5!) to the lights 30; The current then passes trom the lights (it) into the wire (31 :lll(l hack to the power source -l-.';' through the wire ill. it will thus he sccn tliai any number ol sets o'l rings K and ll may be proriilcil to operate the various attachments ol' motor vehicles ainl may be to operate these ilericcs without neccr isitatin the user removing his hanilstrom the steering wheel.

From the 'l'orcgoing' it is apparent that aparticularly simple an l cllicicut means for transmitting the current From the switch box to the various appliances is proriileil which will operate l'UQ'Hl'lllOSl-l oi the position ol' the steering wheel aml it will thus be sccn that the vehicle is iunlcr ontrol at all times ainl the nec ssity ot the (lllYll removing; his hanils from the steering wheel is climinatcil.

lVhilc in thel'orc s'oiirc there has een. shown anrl lcscribcil lhc. prcl'crrcil cmboilimeat of this invention, it. is to e llll l\l'. l( (](l that such changes may be nnnlc in the combination and arrangement, ol' parts as will l'all within the spirit ainl scope ol' the ap POlHlWl claims.

What is claimed is?" 1. in a ilevicc oi the class ilcscribcil, a steering column having a longitudinal slot CXlZQI'HllHQ' (lUWll one siilc, a cih'cr hinged to said column ailjaccnt the slot for closing the smile, sahl corcr being ailaplcil to allow access to the interior ol the column. clips For holding the. cover closcil, a plurality ol. brushes carric l by the corcr ainl a plurality oi" rings on the steering shalt within the column ailaplcil to coopcrate with the brushes in orilcr to establish electrical communication bclwccn lhc slatimiary anil rotary elements.

A (lei ice oi the class ilcscriheil coinprising a steering column having a slot extend "lll) ing down one side, a steering rod rotatably mounted within the column, a. steering wheel at the outer end of the steering rod, switch box mounted on the steering wheel, a cover hinged to the steering column adjacent one side edge of the slot and adapted to swing over and close said slot, an insulating block within the cover, Contact brushes mounted on said block, a, plurality of Contact rings mounted on the steering shaft and insulated from each other, strips of insulation holdin said, rings in place, said strips being spacea from each other to form longitudinal pas- {L cable extending from the switch box through one of the passzifg'es a plurality stranes of wire within the cable connected to the rings, the insulating block being provided with :1v longitudinal groove therein, and a cable seated in said. groove and consisting of a plurality of strands for connection to their respective brushes, whereby electrical communication is established be tween the switch box and the lastmamed cable.

in presence of two Witnesses.

. HARVEY B. CARh IICHAEL. WVitnesses:

Gno. S. RICE, C. KNIGHT.

In testimony whereof I ziffix my signature 25 

